This invention relates in general to car washes for cleaning cars and, more particularly, to automated car washes in which the user need not be actively involved in the process of cleaning the car.
The tried and true approach for washing the family car and other transportation vehicles is with sponge, detergent and towel. This approach of course consumes a large amount of the car owner's time. Equally unfortunately, when the sponge starts to collect dirt from the vehicle, the sponge becomes abrasive and the rubbing action of the sponge over the car finish can actually damage the finish that it is supposed to be cleaning. Likewise, the foam brushes found at "do-it- yourself" car washes can also damage a car's finish by abrasive action.
Drive through car washes have been known for several years. In these car washes, the car owner is relieved of the burden of washing the car himself. In one form, the car is attached to a conveyor device and pulled through a multi-stage process including sequential washing, brushing, drying and buffing stations. In another form, the car is stationary during the washing process and a series of rotating brushes is mechanically driven about the car. Unfortunately, while such car washes clean the car very quickly, once again the abrasive action involved in some of the stations which are not closely supervised can significantly damage the car's finish.